Mango Apple Spinach Smoothie:

Here is a green smoothie that is sweetened with frozen mango. This recipe is a modified version of Meredith Baird's "Glorious Green" recipe in her Everday Raw Detox book. The only thing I really changed is a few proportions and adding dates and vanilla.  Not that I can improve on her brilliance, it's just that I have a sweet tooth that I indulge in the best ways possible.  Anything sweet that comes by nature and which hasn't been processed is alright by me.

Mango Apple Spinach Smoothie:
2 c. frozen mango
1 granny smith apple chopped
2 c. spinach
1/2 c. coconut water
1 c. coconut milk
1 lime peeled
1 t. spirulina
2 Medjool dates
1 t. vanilla
pinch of sea salt

Blend all ingredients until smooth. Serves 1-2. 

Pho and Kale Salad

For a recent dinner I made a raw version of Pho and warmed it in the dehydrator before serving. I paired it with a kale salad with a avocado and miso dressing massaged into the kale. In this particular version of the Pho I used parsnip and carrot noodles, but I'll try it again using kelp noodles. I used the carrot noodles in an attempt to make the soup a little more colorful, but it still looked rather brown, which is not my favorite  color, especially when it comes to food. The taste, however, was full of flavor. The kale salad is my absolute favorite salad. I find the miso dressing so satisfying with the seaweed accents. This salad contains umami, the fifth flavor accent after sweet, sour, bitter, and salty. Umami can be translated as pleasant savory taste. It isn't a flavor itself but combines to give you the satisfying combination of flavors.

Pho and Kale Salad:

Pho:
Broth:
1/2 c. namu shoyu
1/4 c. sesame oil
one lime peeled
2 T. agave
2 sheets of unroasted nori
1 T. grated ginger
1 T. miso
1/2 t. cinnamon
1 star anise
salt and pepper to taste

Blend all ingredients in a blender. Set aside.

Noodles:
1 carrot spiralied
2 parsnips spiralized
1 zucchini spiralized
1 romanesco head or 1 small broccoli head
1/2 red pepper sliced
1 T. sesame oil
1 T. black sesame powder
1 T. lemon juice
1/4 c. mung sprouts for garnish
1/4 c. cilantro for garnish

Put all ingredients except garnishes into a large bowl. Pour broth over the noodles and toss. Spoon into individual serving bowls. Place bowls on the bottom of the dehydrator and warm at 118 degrees for one hour before serving. Garnish with mung sprouts and cilantro immediately before serving.

Kale Salad:
1 head of dinosaur or lucinato kale cut into ribbons
1 sheet of nori cut into squares
1 avocado
2 T. white miso
2 T. apple cider vinegar
1 T. lemon juice

Put kale and nori into a mixing bowl.  In another bowl combine avocado, miso, apple cider vinegar and lemon juice. Mash the avocado ingredients with a potato masher or a fork. Massage the avocado mixture onto the kale with clean or gloved hands until the kale feels soft. Put into individual serving bowls. It is best to make this salad soon before serving so the avocado mixture retains its bright color.

Serves 3-4.

Nightcap Smoothie

I made this concoction in the evening as I was trying to wind down before bed. I used kava and magnesium to help relax my nerves and replenish my muscles.  All I can say is I had a really good night's sleep and some pleasant dreams.

Nightcap Smoothie:

1 c. black mission figs
3 medjool dates
12 c. cashews
10 almonds
1/2 c. coconut milk
2 T. chia powder
1 T. kava powder
1 T. magnesium powder
1 t. vanilla

Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender. Serves 1-2.

Orange Pineapple Jalapeno Smoothie

This one is for the brave at heart or for those who get tired of the same old smoothie. It packs some serious heat, but I love it. Since I live in a cold climate it is sometimes hard to drink a smoothie. I don't want to be any colder than I have to be. When I feel like that I throw a hot pepper into the mix. Instant warmth. Hence, the addition of a jalapeno pepper.

Pineapple contains bromelain, which helps break down excess protein build up in the muscles. Bromelain also aids in fighting infections. Pineapple is packed with antioxidants and is a great source of Vitamin C along with the oranges in this recipe. Also rich in manganese, pineapple is good for the bones. These are only a few of pineapple's benefits but worth mentioning.

Cilantro helps pull toxins from the body, especially heavy metals.  The oils in cilantro stimulate digestion. Cilantro is also a great aid in warding off microbial or fungal infections. It has anti-inflammatory properties and strong general  antioxidant properties. It's an overall great liver tonic. Really, the benefits of cilantro are so numerous I can't list them all here, but know that this little herb packs a powerful punch.

So try this smoothie if you like a little heat. Trust me, the combination of fruit and peppers is unexpected and delightful.

 

Orange Pineapple Jalapeno Smoothie:

1 c. pineapple
3 small oranges
1 jalapeno pepper (use less if desired)
1 handful of cilantro
1/4 c. coconut water

Blend well. Serves 1-2.

Sweet Green Smoothie

As I continue to clean up my act I'm making smoothies for easy digestion and lot of nutrients. This one contains pears, avocados, spinach and some spirulina and green powder for an added blast. It's thick, filling, and sweet.  Green pretty much means clean to me.

Sweet Green Smoothie:
1 pear chopped
1 small avocado
2 c. spinach
1 1/2 c. coconut water
1/2 t. Garden of Life Perfect Food (Raw) green powder
1/2 t. spirulina
3 Medjool dates
1 t. vanilla
pinch of sea salt

Blend all ingredients until smooth. Serves 1-2.

Apple Pear Almond Smoothie

Every time I'm cleaning up my act, I look to Meredith Baird's Everyday Raw Detox for inspiration. I got the idea for this smoothie partly from a recipe of hers called "Fall Fixer" and partly from my insatiable desire for apples and almond butter, which I eat almost every day. And often twice a day. It's fast, portable, and delicious. Even faster is this smoothie. I thought I'd try blending my favorite combination to see what happens. I eat the two together so often, I'm surprised I didn't try this sooner. It's no surprise how it turned out.  I added a jalapeno pepper to give it some heat. I have to admit, sometimes I'm not sure when I throw something into the blender, but I've learned over the years that really unexpected pairings can delight. So it is with the pepper in this recipe. It's just enough heat to give the smoothie a kick without overpowering it. Paired with a steaming cup of hot cinnamon black tea, this is a perfect start to the morning.

Apple Pear Almond Smoothie:

2 apples chopped and seeded
1 pear chopped and seeded
1/2 c. coconut water
2 T. raw almond butter
2 inch chunk of ginger
1 T. chia powder
2 medjool dates
1 T. flax oil
1 t. cinnamon
1 jalapeno pepper
1 t. vanilla

Blend apples and pear with coconut water until it's an applesauce consistency. Blend the rest of the ingredients with the apples and pear until you have a smoothie consistency.  Sprinkle with cinnamon and enjoy. Serves 1-2.

Green Tea Latte with Spirulina Smoothie--1

 I just came back from another vcacation overseas. This time it was to France to ski and snowshoe in a beautiful area in the French Alps. After so recently returning from Australia and New Zealand, I've been feeling a bit out of sorts as far as eating raw goes. The majority of the food I ate in France was raw, but I also ate cooked vegetables and rice, as I did in Australia and New Zealand. I don't think there's anything wrong with that at all. It's just not my usual choice. Raw works for me on many levels. I also am quite picky about my sweet. I like to satisfy my sweet tooth but in as healthy a way as possible. I like my sweet in the natural state, ie. as in dates and figs. (Yes, I know how much sugar dried fruit contains). I don't like to eat sugar sources that have no nutritional value to them, ie. white sugar. I'm also suspect of evaporated cane juice, which, to me, is the high fructose corn syrup of the natural food world.  (And yes, I know that's a bit of an exaggeration, but you get where I'm going...it's in everything).

Well, I digress. Back to the traveling... I know a few things got past me, specifically soy milk, which undoubtedly contained sugar and probably of the evaporated cane juice variety. Finding alternative dairy sources isn't so easy overseas. Soy is generally available, but not almond or hemp or cashew or coconut milk. And I'm not in the position to make my own.  (Though I seriously tried to fit my NutriBullet into my suitcase, but it was just too much). I did make sure the soy milk did not contain genetically modified soy, which was much easier in Australia and New Zealand than here in the U.S., if the labels were indeed correct. I was fortunate to find an almond milk in France, but it had sugar in it. No such thing as an unsweetened choice in the tiny town I was in. I was just content to find almond milk instead of soy.  And since I only use a tiny bit in my tea, I was satisfied that making this sacrifice wasn't going to have too much of an impact on my health. Of course, I could just forgo using anything in my tea, but my tea ritual just wouldn't be the same. And I really, really love my tea. It's the one ritual I have to have when traveling. So I accept that a little soy abroad won't be the end of the world.

A side note on  soy. I don't eat soy at home, so maybe things have changed in the decade since I ate it. But it used to be that only organic soy could be trusted to be non-GMO. Most soy is genetically modified in this country.  In Australia and New Zealand most of the soy milk said it was non-GMO, yet it wasn't organic. It was actually hard to find a soy milk that was genetically modified. Now, I don't know what they are doing that we aren't, but it seems there is a greater consciousness regarding this issue. Perhaps it was public demand to not allow GMO's in their food, I really don't know.  I just know as I looked on the shelves out of curiosity it was hard to find GMO soy milk in these countries.  I can't tell you how delighted that made me. Some countries are successfully fighting the corporate corrupting giants, and you know who I mean. So I'm going to hold out hope that we can still turn the tide on this issue in this country.

I digress again.. back to my cleaned up breakfast. I'm not one of those people who do juice cleanses. I juice, but I'm too active to be able to live on juice alone. When I try to clean up, what I mean is drinking smoothies and juices. My aim is to give my digestive system a break by consuming foods that are partially broken down by the Vitamix and presumably easier to absorb this way. I still drink foods with healthy fats in them. Nuts, coconut, and avocados are still part of my 'cleanse.'  Now the purists out there wouldn't approve of this as a cleanse, but it's my cleanse and I know what I need and how to get it.  I strongly believe there is no one way to do any of this. Each of us has to find our own way. So my way this morning was to start with a wheat grass shot, then a green tea latte paired with a spirulina smoothie. A slow start to be sure, but still an improvement over all the chocolate I ate while on vacation.

Green Tea Latte:
2 c. hot water
3/4 c. cashew milk*
4 T. softened coconut butter
2 T. coconut nectar
2 T. green tea powder (feel free to use less as 2 T. makes for a strong green tea flavor)
1 T. lacuma powder
1/2 t. vanilla bean seeds

Blend all ingredients in a Vitamix and let run for several minutes. The heat of the motor will warm the liquid. Serve immediately. Makes two servings.

*Cashew Milk:
1 c. cashews soaked for 2 hours
5 c. filtered water
1 t. vanilla
a few drops of stevia (optional)

Blend nuts with water until you have a smooth liquid. Strain the liquid through a nut milk bag. Add the vanilla and optional stevia to the milk and stir in.

Alternatively, you can buy nut milks from the store, but they aren't raw. Heat is used in the processing. It's your choice how far you want to go with this raw idea.

Spirulina Smoothie:
1 c. coconut water
1/2 c. shredded coconut
2 T. softened coconut butter
1 scoop raw protein powder
1 T. spirulina ( Use as much or as little as you want.  I've worked my way to loving spirulina and find it sweet)
1 t. flax oil
3 medjool dates

Blend all ingredients until coconut has blended well and smoothie texture is smooth. Makes one large smoothie.